That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Every year, the young women of Israel would go out for four days to mourn and remember the daughter of Jephthah from Gilead.
This verse describes how the women of Israel established an annual tradition to honor and grieve for Jephthah's daughter who died because of her father's vow.
📚 Historical Context
This verse concludes the tragic story of Jephthah, a judge of Israel who made a rash vow to God that he would sacrifice whatever came out of his house first if God gave him victory in battle. When his only daughter came out to greet him, he felt bound by his vow and sacrificed her. The annual mourning ritual became a way for Israelite women to commemorate this tragedy and perhaps protest such extreme religious practices.
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